Congressman Issa Takes Action on Opioid Epidemic

Statement

In an effort to battle the nation's growing heroin and opioid epidemic, Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) voted this week in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a suite of 18 bills focused on addiction, treatment and prevention. The bills were approved with broad bipartisan support and provide for substance abuse treatment and education while helping bolster law enforcement efforts to help fight back the growing crisis.

Congressman Darrell Issa had the following to say:

"Decisive action to reign in this crisis is long overdue. Addiction is tearing our families apart, ravaging our communities and taking the lives of our mothers, fathers, sons and daughters far too soon. It's become a crisis not just here in California, but all across the nation as increasing numbers of Americans, from every walk of life, continue to be touched by the heartache of addiction.

Every hour, every day, countless loved-ones are losing their lives to drug overdoses. In fact, drug overdose has become number one cause of accidental death, surpassing car crashes for the first time. I'm encouraged that the House of Representatives was able to pass legislation to bring hope to families, addicts and those recovering. I'm even more hopeful that the Senate will take up similar legislation so we can put it on the President's desk for approval as soon as possible."

The bills passed by the House of Representatives include a number of measures that would make it easier for doctors to treat patients addicted to opioids, give law enforcement greater ability to intercept drug trafficking, and offer better protections for veterans and children affected by opioid addiction. Other measures would require the federal government to conduct studies evaluating the nation's capacity for treating opioid addiction, and study the impact of good Samaritan laws which protect first responders and emergency personnel from criminal and civil liability for administering naloxone, the opioid overdose antidote.

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